


to lean on

by arainthatbindshearts



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-16
Updated: 2017-04-16
Packaged: 2018-10-19 18:22:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10645455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arainthatbindshearts/pseuds/arainthatbindshearts
Summary: The night before a party, Reyes is wounded after a move against the Charlatan and tries to hide it from everyone because he doesn't know who to trust. Scott finds out. They exchange feelings.





	to lean on

Reyes is late.

They had agreed on meeting outside what used to be the Outcast headquarters, just like that first date. Well, if it could be called a date, it wasn’t what one would expect. Reyes had disappeared and left Scott to mingle with Sloane and Kaetus, who weren’t exactly friendly faces.

But after that… after that, Scott remembers the roof, the whisky, the sunset… and Reyes’ lips. He can feel Reyes’ hand, even gloved as it was, stroking his cheek. He can taste the whisky as it tasted on Reyes’ lips. Reyes’ breath against his own, so close he could notice things that he had never noticed before.

And it all was because Reyes was letting him. Letting him get close, even though he protected his privacy above all things.

His soft lips, his warm voice, his honesty.

All things he had just discovered but couldn’t imagine not witnessing again.

Maybe it had been the whisky making it all easier; maybe it had been all Reyes. That man. The Charlatan. Out of all the things Scott had thought he would discover in a new galaxy… he hadn’t been prepared for someone like Reyes.

The pathfinder is brought back to reality when a hand closes over his shoulder.

“You look like you are waiting for someone.”

“Is that line ever gonna get old?” Scott answers, turning back to press a soft kiss against Reyes’ lips, his hand cupping the back of his neck. Despite his answer, something warm moves inside of him. Maybe he should feel scared that someone can make him feel like that with one single sentence.

Reyes closes his eyes and drags him in for a longer kiss, smile on his mouth, hands grabbing Scott’s jacket. In that moment they may have been on Kadara, on the Tempest, or on the Archon’s ship, the important thing, the only thing grounding him was the body pressed against his.

Reyes breaks the kiss and takes a step back.

“If I recall correctly, just the other day you said so yourself. And something _the pathfinder_ says can hardly ever be out of fashion.” Underneath his joking manner, Reyes’ voice has a weird edge to it, something that makes Scott stop his comeback and take a better look at him.

Reyes notices his look – how could he not – and absently makes for the door, where a guard is checking the guest list, but Scott grabs his wrist before he is out of reach. Reyes tenses, just for a second, but it’s enough for Scott, and even more, for SAM, to notice.

_Scott, Reyes’ heartbeat is abnormally elevated._ SAM says, which causes Scott’s heartbeat to elevate as well.

“Hey” he frowns, his eyes searching for something in Reyes’ to understand the situation. He grabs his shoulder with his free hand and brings Reyes closer. “Everything ok?”

For a moment it looks like Reyes is about to say something, his face unprotected, his walls down, the Charlatan persona faded. Then, he smiles, winks instead.

“Just looking forward to this whisky Keemah assured me was even better than that Mount Milgrom bottle. Relax, she promises to share with you too.” And with that, and a hand that comes up to fix Scott’s collar, he is out of his arms and walking up to the angara guarding the entrance.

_There are reasons to believe Reyes is hiding something, pathfinder._

_Yeah SAM, you don’t say._

They don’t have any trouble with the guest list, and in a matter of minutes they find themselves surrounded by the crowd. Angara, turians, krogans, salarians and humans all around each other, not all of them members of the Collective, after all, Keemah had organized the party to invite people to join in, to show how everything works and to provide a good time for the associates.

Reyes is there as the supplier everyone knows him to be, while Scott is there as human pathfinder, which isn’t something to be proud of in Kadara port, not even after the fall of Sloane Kelly. Not to say the members of the Collective don’t treat him right, Reyes – although he’d never admit it – makes sure of that.

Pathfinder and supplier manage to get to the bar, where Umi is serving drinks. Reyes, who’d have usually pushed through the crowd until there was a drink in his hand, stands besides the queue that’s formed, and waits until it’s their turn to get drinks.

“I don’t believe my eyes. Did you promise Keemah you’d be on your best behavior?”

Reyes laughs, and Scott can almost pretend he is acting as his usual self.

“Scott, please… I’m always on my best behavior.”

“Always the gentleman, was it?”

“Except when you don’t want me to be. Which I’m hoping you don’t, especially later tonight.”

“You sure look confident about your chances.”

Scott has missed this. Missed him. It’s been a while since he had the time to come to Kadara, especially because Reyes has been keeping everything under control. Maybe he should talk to him, tell him to ease up on the ruling so trouble would drag the Tempest back to port.

The queue doesn’t move too slowly, Umi is the efficient waitress after all, and they soon find themselves with a drink in their hands, scanning the room for Keemah, who Scott finally notices besides the now empty throne.

 “Not a comfortable seat?” Scott says approaching the angara. She smiles when she sees them.

“Just doing the rounds, a lot of guests to talk to. How is everything?”

It is Scott who answers her, after a short silence. Reyes remains unusually quiet throughout the exchange, until Keemah addresses him directly.

_SAM? How are his vitals?_ Scott asks while Reyes jokes with Keemah, mentions something about the drinks, and asks about the Charlatan, pretending to be who almost everyone in the room thinks he is.   

_Heartbeat still elevated. His breathing is shallow. This may indicate he is in pain, pathfinder._

_Pain? Is he injured?_

_A detailed scan would reveal more._

He finds he has lost track of the conversation between Keemah and Reyes because of his chat with SAM and his searching for something that would tell him what is wrong with Reyes. He can’t very well scan Reyes in the middle of the party. Not only would it attract some curious looks, he doesn’t think Reyes would find the invasive action welcome.

Keema brings his attention back to the conversation.

“Scott? I talked to Evfra recently. He congratulated me for this position. I answered that I owed everything to the Charlatan.” She looks at Reyes then, trying to exchange a complicit look, but he is spacing out again. Both Keemah and Scott frown.

“Yes, Evfra does seem to appreciate everything the Charlatan is doing for the angara. I guess I helped the right person for the job, didn’t I?” Scott focuses on Reyes, now starting to get worried. He is resting against the wall, not a stand he usually takes. His eyes scan the room almost feverishly. “Reyes? Reyes. Reyes!” The man finally snaps back to attention, and Scott can feel his heart in his throat. What is wrong with him? “Keemah would you excuse us? I just saw someone I wanted to introduce to Reyes. She is looking for a supplier here on Kadara port.”

As Keemah leaves them, Scott takes Reyes’ hands and leads them towards the crowd as if looking for someone. When he is sure they are out of Keemah’s sight, he turns to Reyes.

“Ok. What is going on, Reyes? SAM says you’re in pain, are you wounded? Did you take something? You are really acting up.”

Reyes exhales a small laugh. “ _Did I take something_? Really? I mean I did always want to know what the big deal with Oblivion was about but…”

“Reyes…” Scott interrupts, now clearly irritated.

“I’m fine. Everything’s great, Scott. Maybe I drank too much last night.” Reyes snaps, impatient.

“You didn’t drink anything last night. You told me you had an important meeting. And now you are…look at you” Scott presses his hand against Reyes’ forehead; the hair on his temple is becoming wet with sweat. “You are sweating but you don’t have a fever…”

“Were you demoted to Tempest’s physician?”

Scott rolls his eyes. Reyes is being obnoxiously stubborn.

“You don’t wanna tell me. Fine.” Scott takes a step back. “Do you want to go get some air, see if you feel better? One of the side rooms?”

“Are you going to take advantage of my stoned self?” Reyes nods though, and they push forward through the crowd until they get to the corridor. Reyes opens the first door they come across, a storage room not so different from the one where they shared their first kiss.

Scott sits on a dusty crate, and is looking up to Reyes, still by the closed door, when he loses his footing; he tries to get to the closest crate to sit down, his balance shifting dangerously. Scott gets up and saves the distance, grabbing Reyes before he falls down.

“Whoa, whoa… You ok?”

Reyes is not only sweating now, his golden skin is paler than Scott’s at this point. He grabs Scott jacket, the only thing preventing him from falling. His breathing is quick and he is grinding his teeth.

“My side. Don’t grab me…so…hard.”

Scott immediately lets his grip loosen enough to give Reyes a break from whatever pain he was causing. He leads him to the nearest crate and carefully sits him down. Before Reyes can stop him, he unbuttons Reyes’ jacket, underneath, his white shirt is growing a red stain that starts on the left side.

“Reyes! What the fuck!”Scott kneels in front of him. When SAM had said injured, he hadn’t imagined it meant bleeding out.

Reyes shushes him, too fiercely for a man with so much blood outside his body. His hand covers the stain on his shirt and presses down. He tenses with pain.

“I’m…ok” he manages to say after a few deep breaths.

“Clearly. SAM? What do I do?”

_Reyes’ wound should be closed to prevent further bleeding. Still, although he has lost enough blood to weaken him, he is not in any immediate danger.”_ This time the AI talks through the pathfinder’s omnitool, letting Reyes hear the exchange.

 “It’s under control, see?”

“Yes, _clearly_. What happened?”

“Yesterday’s meeting I told you about… it didn’t go well. ‘Clearly’ yeah…don’t have to say it again. I… someone suspected I was the Charlatan… they had guns. Managed to get a shot at me. Nobody left the room alive.” Scott feels the hairs on his arms stand up. This is a side he rarely sees. Reyes Vidal pissed, murderous. “But I’m sure word got around that the Charlatan was attacked last night… if anyone sees I’m wounded…”

“They will make the connection.”

“It’s not as bad as it looks. The bullet went through. I applied some medigel earlier, the wound seemed to stop bleeding and it started closing…but it’s reopened… I-I guess I need more medigel. Maybe some pressure will do the trick for now”

“You didn’t call a doctor? I thought you trusted Dr Nakamoto.”

“The attack came from the inside; I didn’t know who I could trust.” Reyes’ hands keeps putting pressure on the wound, his forehead is pearled with sweat.

Scott gently takes his hand away and uses his own instead. Reyes’ wet shirt is cold at first, until the warm blood comes in contact with his naked palm. Reyes looks at his red stained hand, immerse in thought. He winces when Scott’s pressure becomes too much.

“Sorry.” He eases his hand on Reyes’ side. Scott’s gaze roams over his body, looking for something else out of order, some other wound, making sure he isn’t just going to die in his arms. “Why didn’t you tell me? You could have called me this morning, or when you arrived…I asked you.” He remembers Reyes, almost saying something one moment, his eyes strangely guarded the next.

Reyes doesn’t answer. Scott takes advantage of his closed eyes and looks at his face. There isn’t too much light in the room, the dust darkening the little there is. Reyes looks exhausted, like this is the first time he’s sat down since he was shot. His breathing is starting to even out just now. Scott feels his heart sink thinking about the long night he must have had, patching himself up, fearing someone would come through the door to finish what they had started. Meanwhile he had been playing poker with Gil and Vetra on the Tempest.

Reyes still doesn’t answer. And when his hand closes over his own on the wound and carefully but surely pushes away, he understands. Like a cold bath, like a gut shot.

“You don’t trust me either?” he doesn’t mean for it to sound like a question. But it’s the best he can do with the quiver in his voice. He clears his throat. “Do you think I had _anything_ to do with this?”

“Scott, that’s not…”

_There is someone approaching the room. Pathfinder, you should lock the door._

“You didn’t lock the door?” Scott gets up and in an instant his omnitool is glowing orange by the door.

“I was a little busy almost passing out.”

They hear someone try to enter the room, and after a few unsuccessful tries, giving up.

Scott remains by the door, unable to turn around and face Reyes. He has managed to get up, and Scott can hear him moving, saying the wound has stopped bleeding. He looks at his hand, stained with Reyes’ blood.

After a minute, Reyes is next to him by the door, his hands are clean, his suit is flawless, the dark color not showing the stains of blood.

“This room brings back some memories” Reyes says smiling, handing him a handkerchief stained with blood.

“I remember less blood.” Scott mutters taking the handkerchief and wiping his hands. He puts it in his pocket.

“There _was_ a bottle of whisky, but the room was similar. The people were the same.” Scott doesn’t look at him. “Weren’t they? Maybe I’m mistaking you for someone.”

“Are you still feeling dizzy?” Scott isn’t in the mood for banter, not when Reyes has basically admitted to not trusting him. He wishes he could take the question back.

“I also remember a kiss…” Reyes grabs his arm and turns Scott towards him. “Scott…”

“Are you still dizzy or not?” Scott finally meets Reyes’ eyes.

“A little.” Reyes sighs. “But we have to come out. I don’t want anyone getting suspicious. We’ll talk to a couple of people and then we’ll go.”

“As you wish.”  He answers, not trying to hide the anger (the hurt) on his voice. Scott moves to open the door, but Reyes stops him. His hands hold his. Scott tries to move away, but Reyes’ gaze makes him stop. He feels glued to the floor, to Reyes’ stare.

“Wait. Listen, Scott.” Reyes sighs. Scott can see how hard he has to push for the words to come out. His eyes look unprotected, and his face honest. He feels he’s on top of the Kadara roofs again. _To be someone._ “I do trust you. I _know_ you didn’t have anything to do with this. I just… I didn’t want to drag you into this. Not again.”

“Drag me into what? Your life?”

“Into the _Charlatan’s_ life. After what happened with Sloane… people blamed you for it, they all thought you were in on it since the beginning. It wasn’t fair. I wanted today to be just us. You and me. No Charlatan involved. No politics…”

He hadn’t seen that coming. Reyes’ doubts and worries. The Charlatan’s doubts and worries. He understands Reyes a little more with his confessions, can see a little about how his complex mind works, and he feels whatever grief he had been feeling thinking that Reyes didn’t trust him dissipate.

“But you _are_ the Charlatan. You _are_. You can’t change that. I know you have secrets, but you are hurting right now… you can rely on me when you are, trust me. I can help.” Scott disentangles their fingers, his hands coming up until they are on Reyes’ cheeks. He rests his forehead against Reyes’. “Deal?”

Reyes takes an unsteady breath. His hands meet at Scott’s neck.

“I think maybe _you_ should be called the Charlatan.” Reyes mouth slants in a soft smile.

“But words are _your_ thing.”

Scott closes the small distance separating them, his lips finding Reyes’ smile and coaxing it into a kiss. Scott’s arm makes its way down to Reyes’ waist, and brings them closer. Reyes sighs, relieved, resting his weight against the pathfinder, his wound hurting less.

“So you _are_ that pathfinder who kissed me in a storage room.” Reyes says when he comes up for air, and Scott laughs against his mouth. He moves back a bit, still making sure he is supporting Reyes’ weight, to look at him.

Warm smile, searching eyes. Reyes Vidal.

“Shut up.” He mutters, and kisses him again.

**Author's Note:**

> Reyes doesn't bleed out (obviously), and Scott takes him to the Tempest to see Lexi. Didn't how to fit that into the fic. 
> 
> Hope everyone liked it!


End file.
